Demographic dividend
China, with a population of close to 1.3 billion, is the most populous country in the world and has an advantage in terms of the demographics. Also, the literacy rate for population in the age group 15-24 years is close to 100%. Also, the families in China pay a lot of attention to the education of their children. The preparation/training for the International Maths Olympiad (IMO) starts at the middle school and in some cases, it begins at the elementary level.
Ambitious targets
What really motivates students to go for such Mathematical Olympiads is the fact that it provides a ticket to the best universities in the country. Once a student clears the National Mathematical Olympiad and becomes a member of the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO) team, top universities across the country offer admissions. Also, the Chinese University exams are waived off in case the student is exceptionally good in one or two subjects.
Emphasis on training
Education in China is essentially divided into 6 years of elementary school, 3 years of middle school and 3 years of high school (not mandatory). Apart from that, training for math is very robust. Children start learning multiplication as early as 1st semester of the second grade, when they are nearly 7 years old. 15 hours a week is dedicated to math and teachers are hired specifically to train students for mathematical contests. In the middle school, students are given the freedom to focus on one or two subjects, specifically math. The reason behind this is the fact that good high schools give admissions to students who win mathematical contests at the middle school level.
Education in China is essentially divided into 6 years of elementary school, 3 years of middle school and 3 years of high school (not mandatory). Apart from that, training for math is very robust. Children start learning multiplication as early as 1st semester of the second grade, when they are nearly 7 years old. 15 hours a week is dedicated to math and teachers are hired specifically to train students for mathematical contests. In the middle school, students are given the freedom to focus on one or two subjects, specifically math. The reason behind this is the fact that good high schools give admissions to students who win mathematical contests at the middle school level.
Specialized schools
Chinese tend to send talented students to special schools to hone their skills, thereby promoting competition amongst the students and hence filtering out the extremely talented ones from the crowd. The emphasis in these special schools is given on training the students in their chosen field and only 2-3 hours are devoted to regular school classes.
Expanded capacity in decimal system
The Chinese have an expanded capacity when it comes to the decimal system, as a result they are able to remember numbers with decimals a lot better as compared to students in the West and the rest of the world.
India has great analytical talent. It's a matter of focused effort in terms of training students for International Mathematical Olympiads and turn the tables for the better.
Chinese tend to send talented students to special schools to hone their skills, thereby promoting competition amongst the students and hence filtering out the extremely talented ones from the crowd. The emphasis in these special schools is given on training the students in their chosen field and only 2-3 hours are devoted to regular school classes.
Expanded capacity in decimal system
The Chinese have an expanded capacity when it comes to the decimal system, as a result they are able to remember numbers with decimals a lot better as compared to students in the West and the rest of the world.
India has great analytical talent. It's a matter of focused effort in terms of training students for International Mathematical Olympiads and turn the tables for the better.
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